Envelope and finger moistener



D. J. GOROORAN.

ENVELOPE AND FINGER MOISTBNER.

(No Model.)

No. 419,419. Patented Jan.14,1890.

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NITE STATES ATENT FFICE- DANIEL JAMES CORCORAN, OF DEDHAM,MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOPE AND FINGER MOiSI 'ENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,419, dated January14, 1890.

Application filed August 5, 1889- Serial No. 319,840l. (N0 model.)

To all whom may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL JAMES CORCO- RAN, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Dedham, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Envelope and FingerMoistener, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention is that of a Vessel small enough to be easilyhandled, preferably of sheet metal, bearing in its top a flattened tubewhich holds a piece of felt, (or of cotton-wicking or other absorptivesubstance) the vessel fitted to contain water and held in a pedestal,from which it may be at pleasure withdrawn; and the object is to furnisha device fitted at pleasure to moisten envelope-flaps, (for sealing,)postage-stamps, or letter-press copying-leaves, or to moisten thefingers in counting bills, &c.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side View and a viewin vertical section of one form of my device. Fig. 3 is a view of thesame from above. Fig. 4 is a view in detail of a portion of my devicehereinafter explained. Fig. 5 is a representation of my complete devicein side View. In the drawings, A, Fig. 1, (A A, Fig. 2,) is a vessel ofcylindrical shape, tightly bottomed, and made preferably of tinnedsheet-iron or of brass. Thisvessel bears round its lower end a beading BB, whose lower side forms an inclined plane, which plane is acontinuation of the flat bottom of the vessel. At the top (which top isclosely fastened to the upper end of the vessel, though I sometimesscrew it on and off and sometimes slide it off andon, as with ablacking-box) is a flattened tube 0, Fig. 1, (C O,Fi g. 2,) called theouter wick-tube, inside of which slides a smaller flatten ed tube D,Figs. 1 and 3, (D D, Figs. 2 and 4,) called the inner wick-tube,whichtube bears what I call the moistener E, a piece of felt preferably, butsometimes two or more lamp-wicks sewed together flatwise, so as toresemble a thick wick. This moisten er projects usually about half aninch above the top of the inner wick-tube D and extends-downward toclose to the bottom of the vessel A. (See Figs. 1 and 2.)

F, Fig. 1, is a ring of wire (or sometimes a bead) on the side of theVessel A.

In Fig. 5 the device already described is from time to time upon it.

seen to be placed in the center of a pedestal, which is a dome-shapediron casting G G, which dome bears in its flattened top an aperture inwhich the vessel A hangs by means of the ring F F. This dome (sometimesI use instead the frustum of a hollow cone) is sometimes moldedexternally into an ornamental appearance.

Operation: To use my device, the vesselA being disposed as seen in Fig.5, is taken out of the dome G G, and the inner wick-tube D, bearing themoistener E, is withdrawn, when the vessel A is filled with water andthe tube and moistener replaced. If it is desired to use the device incounting bankbills, the vessel A, with its attachments, is replaced inthe dome-aperture, and the moistener is availed of by touching thefingers If envelopes are to be sealed, the vessel A is taken out of thedome and the moist end of the piece of felt E is drawn over the gummedflap of the envelope, when, the flap being put into its proper place,the smooth bottom of the vessel A is used similarly to a folder. Theaction of the operator is the same when my device is used to wet theleaf of a letter-press copyingbook. If post-office stamps are to bemoistened, the operation can be effected in the same way when the stampsare in a sheet, or if the stamps are separated the moistener may bedrawn across the corner of the letterenvelope, where the stamp isafterward applied. The arrangement of the double Wicktube secures theimportant advantage that, inasmuch as the vessel A must, owing to itssmall capacity, (small for convenience in handling,) be frequentlyfilled with water, and the frequent removal and replacement of themoistener would be troublesome and would also wear out the moistener,the inner wicktube, carrying the moistener with it, can easily beremoved and replaced, and the friction consequent thereon does no harm.

I do not claim any device in which a brush, sponge, or other absorptivesubstance held in a handle end is accompanied by a liquidcontainingvessel from which the absorptive substance is charged with liquid.

I claim-- 1. The combination and arrangement of a vessel with an opentop and a tight bottom, 2. The combination and arrangement of fitted tohold liquids, and bearing at its top the vessel A and the moistener withthe outer a slab of felt or analogous substance Whose and inner \viek orinoistener tubes 0 and D, upper end projects above the vessel and allsubstantially as described and shown.

5 Whose lower end is contained in the vessel,

the latter being borne by substantially a ring, DANIEL JAMES CORCORAN.which is held up by an appropriate support,

forming a pedestal, from which it is at pleas- \Vitnesses:

ure removable, all substantially as described LEMU EL P. J ENKS,

IO and shown. I L.- M. A. CORCORAN.

